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Iraq

Saddam's buttock fails to raise thousands for injured service-personnel

27 October 2011 | Iraq UK  By Julie Knox 
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A former SAS hero has failed to sell his unique souvenir from his time in Iraq; Saddam Hussein's bronze buttock.

Billed as a unique war art relic, the chunk of metal was brought back to Britain from Iraq by Nigel "Spud" Ely after US Marines pulled down the statue of Saddam in April 2003.

Mr Ely, who was working with a TV crew covering the fall of Baghdad, used a hammer and a crowbar to remove the buttock and paid a £385 excess baggage charge to fly the memento back to London.

It was expected to raise thousands of pounds when auctioned off this afternoon, but despite a top bid of £21,000, Mr Ely wants to hold out for more - and has put a reserve estimate on the artefact of a quarter of a million pounds!